HP's iPad-Challenger, the TouchPad Launches in July, Demos Online Now

The next pretender to the iPad throne launches in a few weeks. Will HP's (news, site) TouchPad device fare better than any of the others? A series of videos is out to explain what makes it different.

Does webOS Still Have Clout?

The anything-but-Apple brigade put a lot of faith in Palm's webOS as an alternative mobile OS, but then things failed to take off for the once-pioneering mobile company and its remains were snapped up by HP. So, what is HP offering for its 16GB (US$ 499.99) and 32GB (US$ 599.99) versions that could sway potential iPad buyers?

Well, to try and sell it as different to Apple's iPad, the company has put up a series of videos to show it off. One is titled Synergy and shows off how calenders and email boxes are merged so you only need to see the one page to follow what's happening across your work or social life. Another shows off a neat feature where you can pass messages, photos and data between your Pre phone and the TouchPad by bumping them together.

The Notifications video shows off how the TouchPad handles those everyday interruptions, a significant improvement on Apple's current solution, but soon to be challenged by the iOS 5 update. And, with rumors of fast-approaching Windows 8-powered tablets, the TouchPad's shot at even being a challenger could be short-lived.

Inside the Box

A little chunkier than the iPad, the TouchPad is a hefty beast at 1.6 pounds with a 9.7-inch display, dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU, 1.3mp camera and bags of gizmos and gadgets. Working nicely with the likes of Google Docs, QuickOffice, Dropbox and Box.net helps boost its productivity credentials.

Undoubtedly appealing, the TouchPad has a lot of expectation on its shoulders as Apple continues to sell iPads by the bucketload. The TouchPad certainly has a classiness and branding to make a decent fight of it, but we'll have to wait until July to see and won't be surprised if Apple has a spoiler announcement in hand, just to sow seeds of doubt in potential buyer's minds.

CMSWire is a leading, native digital publication produced by Simpler Media Group, Inc. We provide articles, research and events for sophisticated professionals driving digital customer experience strategy, evolving the digital workplace and creating intelligent information management practices. The CMSWire team produces 450+ authoritative articles per quarter for our 750,000 community members. Join us as a subscriber.